Delete the Adjectives
by servingsarcasm
Summary: She sees them from the corner of her eye. If she didn't stick around to sign a late fan's Playbill, she probably would've missed them. But there they were, standing near the far end of the barricade, looking in her direction. - Future; unsure of pairing.
1. The Calm Before the Storm

A/N: First _Glee _story. Thank you kindly if you review.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for the ones I create.

_"Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I'd have the facts."_ To Kill a Mockingbird

She was nervous, jittery, excited, etc.; whatever other plethora of adjectives you could describe Rachel Berry at this moment in time. She was hopping from one foot to the other, circling the room all while warming up her vocals. For an outsider, it may seem crazy, but for Rachel Berry it was rituality.

Here she was, dressed in her costume, hair and makeup done, and into her sixth month of doing this role, yet she was still as bright and refreshing as the first night. She promised to give every ounce of herself to that audience every night. And if anything, Rachel Berry is true to her word.

From the moment she walked on stage, she held the audience in a metaphysical embrace, entrancing them in this piece. She pranced on the Broadway stage like she'd been doing it for years, and if you didn't have the Playbill to prove it otherwise, you might've thought she had.

She bows like any starlet at the end of the show, the brightest smile on her face. She rushes down to her dressing room, tugging on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, turning into New-York-City Rachel Berry. This wasn't Lima, Ohio Rachel Berry, after all.

She slips on a pair of moccasins before heading out the stage door, waving goodbye to some of her cast mates and receiving a kiss to the forehead from her director.

She walks outside into the beginnings of a chilly winter night. Fans are squealing left and right, and she quickly signs everything she can her hands on, posing for pictures and listening to how she has inspired teens who are now in the place she was a couple of years ago: stuck in a dead-end-town, unappreciated and overly talented. She falsely tells the men who give her their number that she'll give them a call, and soon enough the stage door crowd is emptying out, satisfied, leaving the few remaining members of the cast.

She sees them from the corner of her eye. If she didn't stick around to sign a late fan's Playbill, she probably would've missed them. But there they were, standing near the far end of the barricade, looking in her direction. She said goodbye to her friend and walked towards the small group.

Mr. Schue stood front and center, a sleek coat over his shoulders and Ms. Pillsbury perched silently on his arm. Next to him was the towering Finn Hudson, his arm around Quinn Fabray's shivering shoulders. Artie and Tina stood a ways away, along with Mercedes and Kurt. Finally, Puck came into view over the left shoulder of Finn, his handsome face cast downward at the asphalt.

"Rachel, we wanted to say how proud we all are of you," Mr. Schue stated, his predictable smile gracing his face.

Truth is, Rachel Berry never prepared herself for this moment. You think she would, given the circumstances of her departure, but this wasn't the case. Rachel Berry was totally out of her element. She didn't know which way to swing.

"Oh, um, thanks," she mumbled, shuffling her feet. The eyes looked at her expectantly.

She hadn't seen a single soul from Lima, Ohio (besides her fathers, of course) since she left after senior year. She left on a full ride to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and never looked back. Especially not to the club who treated her so dejectedly over the four years of high school. The only person she could see honestly standing in front of her was Mr. Schue, who was one of the only ones who truly had faith in her.

She knew they had come along way to see her perform, so she didn't want to leave them out in the cold, literally and figuratively.

"Listen, I'm heading back to my apartment. Why don't you guys meet me there? I'll have some wine and snacks and we can catch up. Here's my address." She whipped out a pen, scribbling her Manhattan address on someone's program.

She hailed down a taxi in seconds, slipping into the backseat, leaving the door ajar.

"Some of you can ride with me," she called to them.

Not long after, Mr. Schue and Emma slipped in, closing the door. She told the driver her address and sat back.

"I can't tell you how great it is to see you, Rach. You've gotten even more talented, if that's possible. I've been telling my Glee kids how I taught you and they're amazed. I even have a girl who reminds me a bit of yourself." Mr. Schue seemed genuinely happy to see her, for which she was glad. Emma, on the other hand, was busy trying not to pay attention to the fact she was sitting in a grimy New York City cab.

"Thanks, Mr. Schue. I really appreciate it. I'm glad you guys made it."

They finally pulled up to her place, and she punched in her code and walked through the doors, holding one open for her teachers. She waved to Hank the doorman, told him she was expecting guests, and then took the elevator to the seventh floor, to which it stopped with a jump. A young girl sat on the sofa waiting for Rachel, who slipped the girl a twenty as she left the apartment. To Will and Emma's confused faces, Rachel explained she was the sitter, to which they assumed meant "house sitter".

Her apartment wasn't huge, but it wasn't a studio apartment either. It had a nicely sized living room with a sectional and a new flat-screen television. The kitchen was quite spacious, and there was a hallway that led to two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

"This place is gorgeous, Rachel," Emma commented, taking a seat on the sofa.

"Thank you. I recently bought it, actually. The other place was getting too small."

Emma's brows furrowed as she saw the stray toys in the living room, but ignored it.

The bell rang, and Rachel opened the door as the rest of the glee club filed in. They all took a seat on the sectional, looking around in awe at the apartment. It was still a little barren because she hadn't really moved in yet, but it was getting there.

She was pouring some salsa into a bowl when she heard the door creak open down the hall and a tiny girl step into the living room, rubbing her eyes.

"Momma, I thirsty."


	2. Let's Go Back

Disclaimer: Don't own besides what I create.

A/N: Thank you kindly for the feedback. I love you all.

This is a flashback chapter. This won't be a story that switches back and forth, I just wanted to include this to kind of explain Rachel's situation.

"You rarely win, but sometimes you do." _To Kill a Mockingbird_

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_

"_You sure you don't wanna go to the party with us, Rach?" Her roommate Jessica was hooked on the arm of a college boy from Columbia, her eyes dancing with possibilities and the hope that Rachel _wouldn't _be third-wheeling them. _

"_I'm sure, Jess. Have fun," Rachel winked, starting her route home._

_Rachel considered Jess to be her closest friend. They had met freshman year at Tisch, and were roomed together in a dorm. Jess was a musician, so they got along great – especially because Jess happily embraced Rachel's abrasive personality. So, Rachel was happy to let her friend have a night of fun without her._

_Rachel loved walking the streets of New York at night. There was always that certain smell to the city, the essence of vibrancy that you can't quite catch anywhere else in the world. _

_She was almost to the apartment she shared with Jess when she felt someone grab her arm. She wasn't stupid - this was a hostile notion. It whipped her to face a tall and muscular man, wearing a black sweatshirt and jeans. He had the most piercing blue eyes that seemed to be peering into her soul. She didn't even have time to react before he was pulling her along with him into an alley way littered with trash and old newspapers. She tried to scream, but his hand was clamped over her lips. She cried and cried, but nobody heard her. Not that they would, it was almost one a.m. _

_All she remembers from that night is staring at the sky that came into view between the two buildings, trying to ignore the labored breaths and pants from the vibrating body above hers. She counted the stars over and over again; connecting them and making them form different constellations. Anything to distract her from what was happening; from the pain. _

_She doesn't remember when the man leaves, or when the dawn breaks, or even when the stranger finds her that morning, lying on the cold ground, her clothing ripped. She doesn't remember the ride to the hospital, the sympathetic nurses, the gentle counselor or the questioning policemen. _

_All that she remembers are those piercing blue eyes boring into hers._

_

* * *

_

"_Are you sure you don't want us to stay longer, sweetheart? We will stay here forever if we have to," Leroy Berry told his only daughter, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear._

"_Daddy, I'll be fine," Rachel assured him, cradling her newborn daughter as Jess helped her dad bring in some of the baby stuff. _

"_You keep saying that, baby. But I'm not quite sure I believe it." He got up from the couch, giving her a kiss on her forehead, and then one on his granddaughter. Her dad Hiram then came over, giving her a quick kiss to her and the baby before leaving with his husband. They had been there for almost a month, helping Rachel before and after the birth of her daughter, Grace._

"_Rach, I'm meeting Joe at the diner for dinner. I'll be two hours, tops, I promise." Truth is, Jess still felt she was to blame partly for what happened to Rachel that night. She shouldn't of let her walk home by herself so late. She was a native to the city, after all._

"_Jess, go. Stay out as long as you like. I'm home, I'm safe, you don't have to worry," Rachel assured her, lying Grace down in a bassinet. "I will call you if I need anything, okay?"_

_Jess still looked uncertain, but nodded before walking out of the door. Rachel sighed in relief and turned back to face her beautiful little girl. She named her Grace after her daddy's mother, and for her middle name she used Abigail, when she thought was a strong Hebrew name. _

_She found herself looking into the eyes of her daughter, which were slowly closing from drowsiness, and really hoped the piercing blue would fade._


	3. Lullabye

A/N: Once again, thanks for the reviews and everything! Love you guys.

In this story, Gracie is about two and a half years old or so, just to make it specific.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything except what I create.

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"_Do you not see how necessary a world of pains and troubles is to school an intelligence and make it a soul?__"_ John Keats

* * *

Rachel Berry's life had just been set on a tailspin. Well, yeah, _of course_ she was planning on informing her former glee club of the existence of her daughter, but not in such a random and outright way. The only person not surprised by Grace's presence was Emma, who was just smiling at the toddler.

Grace put on her confused face, looking at the unfamiliar faces gathered in her living room. She clutched her blankie tight to her chest, scurrying across the living room like a soldier through no man's land. They group's head followed her movements, like watching a ball at a tennis match.

Rachel chuckled when Grace ended up at her feet, gazing up at her with worried eyes. Rachel picked her up, swinging her onto her hip and grabbing a Sippy cup from the fridge, before walking her back into the living room.

"Guys, this is my daughter, Gracie," she informed them, depositing the tiny girl on the coffee table and handing her the juice. "Gracie, baby, why don't you show them how old you are?"

Gracie swung around on the table, throwing up a peace sign. She then turned back around, her eyes attentive to whatever was playing on the television.

"She's beautiful, Rach," Finn spoke up, receiving an awkward nudge from Quinn.

"Thank, Finn. I'm going to go finish up the snacks, be right back," Rachel promised, fluttering into the kitchen.

Once she saw her mother was gone, a mischievous glint appeared in Gracie's eyes. She stood up on the table, turning to face the group, her tiny hands on her hips. She walked back and forth like a drill sergeant, making most of the group laugh.

Rachel reappeared a second later, putting a bowl of chips on the table. "Don't worry, she's just testing you," she assured them before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Gracie stopped her walk in front of Puck, who was smirking at the girl.

"What's up, midget?" He asked, holding out his arms. Gracie took this moment to pounce, cuddling up to Puck's chest before turning to face the television again. The group looked at each other, astounded.

"Looks like she's chosen her cuddle bug. Congrats, Noah," Rachel laughed, bringing the last of the stuff out, including a few beers. She gave one to him, Artie, Will, and Finn, but Kurt opted for wine instead.

The group eventually fell into a smooth conversation, while Gracie fell asleep peacefully in Puck's arms.

Rachel found out that Will and Emma were now married, and working on adding kids to the picture. Finn and Quinn were dating, and from the way Finn looked at her, Rachel guessed it wouldn't be that was for long.

Mercedes and Kurt both lived out on the west coast, where Kurt had his own fashion line and Mercedes was an up-and-coming R&B artist. Tina and Artie were engaged, and Rachel couldn't get over how cute they looked together, with Tina sitting on Artie's lap. Puck, she was _very_ surprised to learn, was currently flying solo, and lived in Brooklyn.

"How have we not gotten together over the past few years?" Rachel asked, upset that he had been living so close these past years and they never had a chance to talk.

"You never looked," he said, mysteriously, his eyes lingering on hers for a little bit more then a heated moment.

She also found out that, weirdly, Santana and Brittany really wanted to join them, but they were vacationing in Cabo.

"Yeah, 'vacationing' is what they call it now," Quinn joked.

Rachel was happy to see her old teammates, though things didn't end well between all of them. Finn had broken up with her two days before graduation, announcing that he wanted to get back together with Quinn. There had been bitter words thrown between the two, but in the moment it seemed that those days were behind them.

Throughout the night she couldn't shake the penetrating gaze of Noah Puckerman. He was just _staring_ at her. Forget the maternal heartache that was oozing from her pores from seeing her daughter asleep on his lap; this man was on the prowl for some fresh Rachel Berry. The thing was, Rachel wasn't sure she minded.

Everyone made sure they swapped emails and phone numbers, even addresses. Tina handed her an invitation to the wedding, and Rachel almost gasped when Quinn wrote her number down and told her to "text me". Never did she imagine those words directed at her from one Quinn Fabray.

One by one they left the apartment, until it was just her, Noah, Emma and Will. She was saying goodbye to the couple, and Will still was telling her how proud he was. Really, all of them kept telling her how spectacular she was, and she couldn't help feeling how much she would've appreciated those praises in high school.

"Keep in touch, Rach. We might be back soon again to see another show," Will added, before heading out the door.

She shut it with a sigh, before turning back to Noah, who looked like was partway to dreamland with Gracie. She took Gracie carefully from his arms, and he woke up, immediately standing up. "I'm gonna go get a drink," he told her, stepping heavy-footed into the kitchen.  
Rachel carried the slumbering toddler to her room, tucking her into her princess covers and delivering a soft peck to her forehead. The little girls eyes opened a little, letting out that clear blue color even into the dimly lit room.

"Song, momma," she ordered, putting her small hand flat against Rachel's chest, right above her heart.

"Okay, baby. Really quick though. You need your sleep," she told her, smoothing the soft brown locks from her forehead.

"_Goodnight, my angel_

_Time to close your eyes_

_And save these questions for another day_

_I think I know what you've been asking me_

_I think you know what I've been trying to say_

_I promised I would never leave you_

_And you should always know_

_Wherever you may go_

_No matter where you are_

_I never will be far away…"_

Gracie was out the moment Rachel's voice hit her ears. Rachel smiled, finished tucking her in, and turned to see a smirking Puck leaning in the doorway. She put a hand to her chest in surprise, before pushing him out of the doorway and closing the door shut behind her.

"You almost scared me half to death, Noah Puckerman," she scolded.

"Sorry," he laughed, then turned serious. "You're great with her, you know?"

Rachel smiled softly. "You've gotten soft on me, Puckerman," she teased, softly punching his shoulder. "But thanks."

She walked him to the door and handed him his jacket. He swung it around his shoulders, then turned to her abruptly. "Meet me tomorrow."

"What?" She asked, confused.  
"Meet me. Tomorrow, noon, at the park. By the boathouse. Bring Gracie, too."

"I don't know Noah. You know, my schedule can be pretty full. I can't just go out on a whim and-"

"C'mon, we'll make a day of it." She took in the sincerity on the surface of his eyes, and then nodded.

"Okay. Noon," she promised him, before shutting the door behind him.

She spent the next fifteen minutes cleaning up before walking on clouds back to her bedroom. She doesn't remember ever spending this much time figuring out what to wear to Central Park…

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**Note: Song "Lullabye" by Billy Joel**


	4. A Walk in the Park

**I fucking suck.**

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**

It was a brisk morning. You know, one of those days where you don't really _need_ a sweater, but you bring one anyway. Or you bring it because it's green, and green is your color, and your hoping Noah Puckerman notices this.

Rachel Berry is wearing that green sweater, the tiny matching one fitted onto her daughter. They looked like quite the pair, strolling through the park. Gracie absolutely adored the park, so Rachel kept an eye on her as she ran slightly ahead, reaching her tiny hands out to pet the passing dogs.

She's kind of coming to regret the sweater, since her nerves are making her hot, which in turns makes her sweaty. Which means she's nervous. And Rachel Berry is _never_ nervous.

Was she nervous when she performed her first dance recital at thirteen months? No.

Was she nervous when she belted out her first Streisand song at two? God no.

But Noah Puckerman? This made Rachel nervous.

It wasn't as if they had the strongest of relationships in high school either. Honestly, Noah was a bonehead. Not too bright, but extra on the side of handsome. But of what Rachel saw of him the other night, he had matured into the man she never thought she'd see. He was caring, considerate, and smart. All of the things sixteen-year-old Noah seemed to lack.

So this was how Rachel decided to take her bundle of nerves and meet up with Noah. She swept the park for him, but couldn't see him anywhere around. Gracie was still tottering ahead, her star-covered sippy cup grasped in one hand.

She turned around quickly, calling a "momma" as Rachel snapped a picture of her. She hit playback to view the photo, and caught a figure walking towards Gracie. She looked back up at Gracie, and saw her giving a delightful hug to Noah. She giggled as he raised her above his head.

She was surprised to say the least. Gracie never reacted this way to men. In fact, she was very protective of her mother. When she brought home a boy a couple of months ago, Gracie "accidentally" spilled her milk all over his lap. She was quite the charmer.

"Noah, hi," she greeted him, taking Gracie from his arms. The little girl dropped her head on her mother's shoulder, tuckered out from her walk.

"Hey Rach, how's it going?" He asked, joining her in step.

"It's going great, thanks. How about you?"

"The day's been fine. Better now," and then he sicked that amazing grin on her, and she nearly melted right then and there. Fortunately, she had a handle on herself.

"Oh, um, that's great." Redundant Rachel is redundant.

He smirked, and little did she know, he was a bundle of nerves himself.

* * *

They spent the day traversing the park. They stopped at a hotdog stand for lunch, where Rachel just asked for water and Noah rolled his eyes as he and Gracie munched on a cheese dog.

She spent almost an hour with him on a park bench while Gracie played on the jungle gym, his arm nonchalantly around her shoulders. They talked mostly about what they'd been doing since high school. She learned he went to Ohio State for football, and moved to the city to be a sports columnist on a small newspaper in Brooklyn.

"I knew you'd be someone, Noah," she said quietly as they made their way back to her apartment after dinner. He treated her and Gracie to a wonderful Italian dinner in Manhattan.

He waited as she tucked Gracie in, the tiny girl begging for a song. This time though, she allowed Noah to sing her lullaby with his rough voice but gentle tone.

"You're great with kids too, you know," she commented as they sat on her couch. She held a glass of wine in her hand, he had a beer.

"Well, your mom…Uh, she let me watch Beth sometimes," he said quietly, and her heart broke for him. "I haven't seen her since I moved out here though. I miss her."

Rachel knew she was seeing a side of Noah he rarely let be seen, and she appreciated it. He told her more about his regrets, especially concerning Beth. Things were moving smoothly until Noah brought up the one subject Rachel was continually trying to avoid.

"I don't want to pry Rach, but, whose Gracie's father?" He asked her, his hazel eyes boring into hers.

She almost choked on her wine, not expecting the question. She took a moment, her head down. "It's really hard for me to tell this story, Noah, and I don't think I'm ready to, um, tell you yet."

Noah's head snapped up. "What? Why?"

"It's really personal Noah."

He stood up. "I just spent almost an hour telling you about Beth, shit I've never told _anyone._"

"Noah, you're taking this too personally. This is our first time out since high school. I need to trust you."

"What, did you meet some guy at a bar, screw 'em, then never heard from him again?" he asked bitterly.

"That's incredibly insensitive, Noah," she softly admonished.

"I just don't understand why you won't tell me. You're the one who at sixteen said we needed to have a relationship based on truth."

"Noah, I'm asking you, as my friend, to wait until I'm ready." She really, really, really didn't mean to say friend. It was one of those moments where she needed a noun and the first one that came to her mind seemed to suffice. She knew, and so did her, that judging by today, they weren't friends. They were more. They had always been.

"Whatever. I'm out. I'll call you or…whatever." With that, he grabbed his jacked and swung the door behind him.


End file.
